All Tied Up
by LadyAlambiel
Summary: At this particular moment, the General of Narnia was all tied up.


Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't...

Summary: At this particular moment, the General of Narnia was all tied up.

A/N: This story is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. Enjoy!

 **All Tied Up**

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Oreius opened his eyes and suppressed a groan as the dull drumming in his temples resumed its steady beat.

"Told you it wasn't going away."

He closed his eyes again. "Alambiel, have you considered improving your bedside manner?"

"Not with husbands who don't listen the first time." Despite her rather unforgiving assessment of the discussion they had had that morn, Alambiel's touch was light as she laid the back of her fingers against his cheek. "You still have a concussion, by the way."

Oreius grimaced as the pounding increased. "I still have meetings. What time is it?"

"A few hours before noon but you can't get up."

"And why not?" His wife was grinning and Oreius sighed before he started to rise . . . only he couldn't. Oreius tried again and this time he paid attention to the ropes. "Alambiel," he growled.

She did not even take the trouble to look away from her book. "I warned you."

He shifted then strained against the ropes. "I have pressing duties."

"You can't even see straight."

"I can see you well enough."

The snicker was not what he wanted to hear. Nor did he want to admit that the simple act of attempting to break the ropes was making him dizzy. Surely, one more attempt was all he needed. Although, it would be easier if his head did not pound so or feel quite as heavy as it currently did.

"So how's the escape attempt going?"

"You are not the least bit humorous," Oreius grunted before he relaxed once more. He just needed to gather his strength. He looked over at where Alambiel was sitting cross-legged on the mattress, still reading, and frowned. "Why did you do this?"

"If you can recall this morn's argument, I tied you to the bed in order to keep you from doing something silly. Aren't you supposed to know better than trying to do things when you have a concussion? You are the General after all."

Oreius scowled. "Getting up and taking care of my duties does not qualify as 'silly,' Wife."

"Annnnd that's why you're tied up." She reached over and patted him on the arm, still not looking away from her book, as she added with a teasing lilt, "Now relax, a chara. If you give yourself an aneurysm, it looks bad for the both of us."

"You are aware that rope is not an effective restraint."

"It is when your eyes cross every time you attempt to lift your head. And you would only have the advantage if I gave you slack. I didn't, by the way."

He attempted to test the ropes but Alambiel had tied his arms so he could not move his hands enough to grasp any rope. Glaring at the little pest did not faze her (it rarely ever did) and he had to resign himself to the indignity of being tied up and in his own bed, adding further insult to injury. He dozed for a short time then opened his eyes when he felt Alambiel slipping off the bed. She was extremely displeased with something. Her stride was brisk, not as much as the relaxed sway, and her left hand was curled up toward her wrist, cradling one of her smaller daggers. As she slipped out the doors, he recognized Stormwind's voice greeting her.

His head started throbbing again. He recalled with almost painful clarity the moment the mace had connected with the back of his helmet.

"You're lucky you didn't cave his skull in, you moron!"

"Please, fair Cousin, it was a simple mishap, I-"

"Simple mishap?"

The hissed phrase boded very poorly for Stormwind's likelihood of escaping the encounter without being stabbed. Oreius' mouth twitched into the hint of a smile as he imagined his fierce lady facing off against his cousin. He could hear the rug-muffled hoofbeats retreating from the bedroom door and (he had no doubt) Alambiel. The only thing that would have been more enjoyable would have been the pleasure of watching his cousin fall before his wife's wrath.

"I know it was close but the cordial-"

"Doesn't help if your brains have been scrambled to the point that you're dead. Stormwind, if you make me a widow at any point, I will make you an extremely miserable stallion. Got it?"

There was a pause and then Stormwind spoke very cautiously, "I understand, my Lady. I swear before Aslan that the hit was unintended. I meant to dent Oreius' shoulder not his head." There was another pause. "Might you consider removing the dagger from my ribs before I too need the healers' aid?"

"Get out."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Oreius bit back a chuckle despite his pounding head. His cousin had quickly shifted from informal to formal address in his attempts to appease Alambiel to the point she didn't stab him. Alambiel stormed back into their bedchamber, blue eyes flashing with temper and muttering unflattering opinions in regards to his cousin's intelligence in her Irish. She drove her dagger into the wooden block he had acquired for her birthday so she would stop gouging her dressing table with enough irritation that Oreius was half-tempted to inspect the blade to ensure she had not drawn blood.

She turned her glare on him. "Do me a favor and the next time you agree to play Centaur games with your cousins, don't let one of them brain you."

"I will not. For fear that I shall be missing a cousin or two should such a mishap occur again."

Alambiel's eyes narrowed. "Mishap. You're not allowed to self-diagnosis, remember? You're usually wrong, much like your colts."

He cleared his throat. Alambiel would not stab him . . . she would not want the hassle of extending his healing needs. "The exhibition was never meant to render harm. It is merely a way for the herds to come together and . . . well, demonstrations are expected."

Alambiel looked as unimpressed as the first time he mentioned that he would be participating in a . . . demonstration. "Do demonstrations usually involve melees?"

Oreius cleared his throat again. "It was a demonstration of combat skills, there was merely a mishap."

She shook her head but poured a fresh cup of water and held it to his lips. "If your colts gave you such an excuse, you would make them stay in their beds, perhaps with the help of shackles or just assigning the guards to take turns sitting on them. And you certainly wouldn't permit them to overdo." She set the cup aside and rose to pull back the covers. He raised an eyebrow as he surveyed just how thoroughly she had trussed him up in her effort to secure him to the bed. Alambiel touched his cheek. "Give me your word that you won't try take any ropes off."

"Done." Moments later, Oreius was able to prop himself up on an elbow. He obediently held still as Alambiel examined him even when she brushed and pressed against the memento of Stormwind's ill-timed strike. "Was my helmet dented?"

"Did you really expect it not to be? You are extremely fortunate." She braced a hand against his shoulder as she rose on her knees then made him bend his head again. "Idiot."

"I know."

"You almost managed to get yourself killed and without even the excuse of battle."

"I know."

"You're supposed to know better."

"Yes."

Alambiel moved back and then slipped off the bed again. "I also can't trust you to not try to get up and putter with your paperwork otherwise I would finish untying you."

He scowled a little. He did not 'putter' with anything. Then his gaze dropped to the ropes still tying him to the bed. "Would you untie me?"

She smirked then turned away, fiddling with some vials. "Sure. You're a lot more fun when you're not all tied up. And, no, this is not revenge for when you decided it would be funny to leave me tied up in that cave last year."

"Are you quite certain?"

"Quite. Now." Alambiel dumped the clear contents of a vial into the cup he had been drinking out of and then held it out. "Drink this."

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

Oreius didn't answer. His wife stared at him and then laughed. "This is about the time you drugged yourself, isn't it?" She held out the cup again. "It's safe, I swear. After all you made me promise not to let you drug yourself again and I have kept my promise for these three years, no?"

He raised an eyebrow at the proffered drink and then winced as the throbbing in his temples increased. "What will it do?"

"It will help that headache for one." Alambiel took a sip and then handed it to him. "See? No drug. Now take your medicine, you big baby."

Oreius snorted. "I am not a foal."

"Then take your medicine like a grown stallion."

He looked at the drink and then watched Alambiel's face closely for any sign that a sedative was at work. She stuck her tongue out at him. He waited another few minutes but the pounding grew worse and he finally resigned himself to drinking the medicine.

The pressure did not ease immediately. Oreius groaned then rested his head in his hand, now too tired to attempt rising if he could. "Two days ago you did not want me to sleep. Why must I stay abed now?"

"Because two days ago, sleep was bad. Today you need more rest. You're hurt, Oreius. Let me take care of you." He felt the ropes sliding and opened his eyes to see Alambiel coiling the ropes. His wife smiled a little. "You look pathetic enough that I know you're not going to escape. It's beyond you at the moment."

"I could try." If his legs would work as he commanded.

Alambiel slipped behind him and then rested her blessedly cool fingers against his throbbing temples. "I think I can dissuade you." She started drawing circles against his temples with her fingertips. "Stubborn Kentauri. You seem determined to break my heart before my time."

Oreius closed his eyes then allowed his wife to draw him down so he now rested with his head in her lap, her fingers still massaging in soothing circles. "But you were impressed before Stormwind made his mistake, no?"

"I'm not going to tell you because if I did, it would only encourage you try this again."

He wasn't certain if it was the medicine or the simple soothing touch of his wife but the pounding in his head had finally begun to ease. Oreius peered up at her with one eye, a smile playing across his lips. "You _were_ impressed. Good."

She sighed, shaking her head but smiling back at him. "I was impressed until you let your cousin brain you, yes. Now hush and relax or I will be forced to tie you up again."

Oreius chuckled but chose not to risk her wrath. That, he decided, was far more entertaining when directed at his hapless cousin.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

 **A/N: Please Read and Review!**


End file.
